This is NOT H. P. Grice, who was cremated, but some other Grice who was
not. The implicature of 'empty tomb', as used in the Bible, is that, as Geary
reminds us, 'a tomb is usually filled' -- "at least here in the South," he
adds for piquancy.
In a message dated 12/27/2015 3:03:07 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
profdritchie@xxxxxxxxx writes:
“All they had for the baby,” I said, “was a manger.”
“Baby?” said Mimo.
“Manager?” Appenzeller didn’t like the sound of this.
This is a nice story, and it goes on up to the 'empty tomb,' since D. Helm
was referring to the 'unquiet grave' by Connolly. Oddly, the BBC once
released a documentary enttiled, "The Unquiet Grave", without crediting
Connolly, I expect, but then it is about the unquiet grave of Signorina Evita
(maiden name: Duarte), born in the pampas. Why her grave was unquiet is very
political.
On the other hand, why Christ's tomb became empty is very theological --
Lutheran even (My favourite word this week is "Lutheran" after I read that a
music critic said that the hymn to Brahma in Bizet's "I pescatori di perle"
-- now playing at the Met in NYC -- is 'like a Lutheran chorale, only
different', without implicating that Bizet actually borrowed from himself in
that bit, from his 'Te deum' ("After the failure of my "Te deum," I decided,
God forbid, for theatrical music, not church music," Bizet later confessed
-- to a priest).
First thing in the morning, the women come to Christ's tomb with their
spices, fully expecting to find Jesus' remains.
All the accounts agree that it was early morning.
Matthew 28:1 and Mark 16:2 refer to the dawn or early morning, while John
20:1 notes that it was still dark when they started their journey.
The four canonical gospels all agree that "Mary" visited Jesus' tomb,
though they differ on which Mary and whether she was on her own.
The gospel according to Luke relates that the women who had come with Jesus
from Galilee followed Joseph of Arimathea and "saw the tomb and how his
body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes.
But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment."[Lk.
23:55-56] Luke names them as Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James,
and
"the others with them".
It may be argued, alla Popper, that an empty tomb is not an unquiet tomb,
and it might be argued, plus, that this is more than merely 'definitory' (or
as Geary prefers, 'definitional').
Cheers,
Speranza
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